Following is a transcript of the video.
Narrator: On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 flew into a flock of Canadian geese shortly after taking off from New York's LaGuardia Airport. The plane lost all engine power while flying over Manhattan. Their options? Attempt to land on the Hudson River or crash into one of the densest cities in the US.
Clip: I don't know. I think he said he was going in the Hudson.
Narrator: Thanks to clear conditions, expert piloting, and a quick response from emergency crews, all 150 passengers survived. You may have heard this story before, but it's not the only time something like this has happened. And despite that success, landing a plane on the water is extremely dangerous.
Ditching is a controlled emergency landing on water. It can be caused by almost anything, but usually it's because of engine failure or running out of fuel. Pilots only decide to ditch an aircraft when there is no better alternative. Despite the difficulty, pilots don't undergo extensive training on ditching.
Chesley Sullenberger, the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549, told The Telegraph in 2018: ''The only training we had gotten for a water landing was reading a few paragraphs in a manual and having a brief classroom discussion.''
Carolina Anderson: You really don't practice, not even in the airplane or in the simulator, but most airlines will cover it in training. But it's not something that is mandated for every airplane.
Narrator: That's Carolina Anderson. She's an associate professor of aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Anderson pointed out that it's rare to have to ditch an airplane.
Anderson: It's not something that is very common. You see them in smaller airplanes more often, in big airliners not very often.
Narrator: Planes are usually tested using simulations, rather than actual bodies of water. The aircraft needs to float long enough for passengers to evacuate. But pilots have to worry about more than just the plane. Unlike landing on a runway, there are a lot of variables that are out of the pilot's control.
The most obvious is the waves. The larger the waves, the more dangerous the landing. Pilots try to land parallel to the waves, instead of across them, so the waves don't push the plane around, which could cause damage to the plane, injure passengers, and make evacuating more difficult.
Like in 1956, when Pan Am Flight 6 had to ditch in the Pacific between Honolulu and San Francisco. Upon landing, a wing hit a swell, rotating the plane 180 degrees, damaging the nose, and breaking off the tail. Luckily, everyone survived.
While ditching, pilots have to keep the wings level and maintain an incoming angle that's not too steep to prevent a hard impact. Inside the plane, the passengers will be told to brace for impact. And anything loose in the cabin will need to be tied down. Another huge factor is the weather. Clear conditions give a pilot better control over the aircraft and increased visibility. Pilots balance all of these variables in order to prevent the aircraft from breaking apart. If a plane breaks upon impact, there is a huge risk of flooding.
Anderson: You're not going to float for very long, and if you land too hard, the chances of breaking it are very high because water is going to get in and it's going to start sinking.
Narrator: And if a plane flips over, flooding will occur much faster.
Anderson: Basically, you want to touch down as slow and as soft as possible. If the airplane has retractable landing gear, you want the gear to be up and you want the flaps to be completely down.
Narrator: If the landing is successful, the next step is getting everyone off the plane. Which has to happen quickly, since the Federal Aviation Administration requires planes to be able to be evacuated within 90 seconds.
Thankfully, modern planes are equipped with a bunch of safety features to help passengers if an aircraft is ditched. Commercial planes use rafts and flotation devices like life preservers. They also come with flares and emergency radios. Airplanes are designed so that a water landing won't cause immediate harm to passengers. Many ditching-related deaths are from drowning, not the impact.
But don't let this discourage you from flying. Forced water landings are unlikely to happen, especially on a commercial flight. Whenever flying, you should listen to safety instructions carefully. And always remain calm.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This video was originally published in August 2019.
FAQs
The most obvious is the waves. The larger the waves, the more dangerous the landing. Pilots try to land parallel to the waves, instead of across them, so the waves don't push the plane around, which could cause damage to the plane, injure passengers, and make evacuating more difficult.
How hard is it to land a plane on water? ›
The most obvious is the waves. The larger the waves, the more dangerous the landing. Pilots try to land parallel to the waves, instead of across them, so the waves don't push the plane around, which could cause damage to the plane, injure passengers, and make evacuating more difficult.
Has a plane ever successfully landed on water? ›
US Airways flight 1549, flight of a passenger airliner that made an emergency landing in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, shortly after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Five people were seriously injured, but there were no fatalities.
What happens if a plane has to land on water? ›
Pilots are trained to shut outer air vents to prevent water from seeping in and aim for calm waters. They will do their best to keep the plane parallel to the waves and try to land tail down for a smoother landing. This is also to prevent the plane from breaking apart and ensure it will float.
Is it safer to crash on land or water? ›
If the misfortune happens near land and water, I would crash land on a dry, flat and hard surface. If my choice is only the river amidst the high-rise buildings, I would opt for ditching. Ditching, in aviation lingo, simply means a controlled emergency water landing.
Do pilots train for water landings? ›
The FAA does not require commercial pilots to train to ditch but airline cabin personnel must train on the evacuation process.
Why do pilots say tree instead of three? ›
Yet even as radio equipment has improved over the years, the phonetic alphabet can still be the difference between a clearly-received message and an indistinguishable one. Tree is to prevent the digit from being pronounced sri, a different word in some languages.
What is the biggest plane that can land on water? ›
The AVIC AG600 Kunlong (Chinese: 鲲龙; pinyin: kūnlóng; lit. 'Kun Dragon') is a large amphibious aircraft designed by AVIC and assembled by CAIGA. Powered by four WJ-6 turboprops, it is one of the largest flying boats with a 53.5 t (118,000 lb) MTOW.
Why don t planes fly over the ocean? ›
Hazardous weather conditions and larger weather systems can occur over bodies of water. These include thunderstorms, which are extremely hazardous to flights.
What is the longest flight over water? ›
Flying from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, non-stop, a distance of 3,871 kilometres (2,405 mi; 2,090 nmi) in 19 hours, 36 minutes.
Weather Conditions
These adverse weather patterns make it unsafe for planes to fly over this vast expanse of water. Airlines prioritize the safety and comfort of their passengers, and as such, they prefer to avoid flying through storms whenever possible.
What happens if a plane has trouble over the ocean? ›
As long as the plane has communication to ATC or other planes, the pilot would report the problem and his/her next cause of action. This would include the intention to divert to the closest airport or to do an emergency water landing if there is no other option.
What is the likelihood of surviving a plane crash? ›
What the FAA can do. In 2021, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published a report on U.S. airline accidents over an 18-year period (1983–2000) and found that 95.7% of occupants had survived.
In which location is a crash most likely? ›
While serious accidents can occur on any type of roadway, they can be more likely on roads where cars travel at higher speeds. They may also be more likely on major streets and highways where larger vehicles or many vehicles are likely to travel.
Where is a crash most likely to occur? ›
Most car accidents happen near the victim's home, including in neighborhoods or on rural roads. Intersection and parking lot crashes are also common. Drivers and passengers should take safety precautions, such as using seatbelts whenever they get in the car, regardless of their destination.
Is flying a seaplane difficult? ›
If one can pilot a land-based aircraft, learning the nuances of seaplane operations is not difficult. The constantly changing environment in which the seaplane operates will present the pilot with different variables each time. These variables include, but are not limited to, winds, water conditions, boat traffic, etc.
Will a plane sink if it lands in water? ›
Once an aircraft has landed on water, passengers and staff are then evacuated. There is no single figure which dictates precisely how much time crews have before the aircraft sinks, but the structure of the plane will, in most cases, allow enough time. Most aircraft also have life rafts.
Can a 747 float on water? ›
Yes, in theory, an 400,000 kg airplane like a 747 could be fitted with floats capable of displacing the 400 cubic meters of water required to keep it afloat, albeit with a decrease in performance.
Can I land my plane on any lake? ›
May I land a seaplane on any lake? If there are no local zoning laws prohibiting motorized aircraft operations on the PUBLIC lake, you can land on it. Private lakes are considered private property and you will require prior permission from the owner.
